Electric jet wave commutator and interrupter



April 9, 192 9. J. F. G. P. HARTMANN J 1,708,061

. ELECTRIC JET WAVE COMMU'IATOR AND INTERRUPTER Filed March 17, 1926 5 Sheets- Sheet 1 E711 In genionM-diRMh L April 9, 1929.

J. F. G. P. HAR'II'MANN Filed Marcli 1'7, 1926 llmuuwm .\u((((((( WW I \uwumwmm\uma umumuuuum (w van-c, m,

April 9, 1929.

J. F. G. P. HARTMANN 1,708,061

ELECTRIC JET WAVE COMMUTATOR AND INTERRUPTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 17, 1926 Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

JULIUS FREDERIK GEORG POU'L HARTMANN, F GbPENHAGEN, DEBRA BK.

ELECTRIC JET WAVE COMMU'LKTOR AND Application filed March 17, 1926, Serial No.

This invention 'relates to apparatus in which a wave-shaped conductive liquid jet is used for effecting the closing or interruption of an electric circuit, and particularly to the so-called jet-wave commutators and interrupters which are described for instance in my U. S. patent specifications Nos.

1,306,335 and 1,365,491, and the main ob jcct of the invention is to provide an improved electrode or part of the same or arrangement of electrodes for use in such devices in order to increase the security of service and in some instances to reduce the electric resistances.

In accordance with the invention an electrode or electrode part coacting with the conductive jet-wave is formed as one or more conductive walls arranged in the direction of propagation of the jet-wave liquid particles atsaid wall or walls, or nearly in that direction, and protruding laterally more or less into the jet-wave so as to touch the same without cutting the jet-wave or interfering materially with the normal advancing motion of the wave-figaire thus making it possible to pass an electric current from the wall into said jet-wave.

The invention further comprises certain embodiments of electrodes and combina-' 'tions of such which will appear from the following .detailed description. I

. Referring now tothe accompanying draw- 1ngs:

Figures 1 and2 are diagrammatic views of jet-wave commutators including certain embodiments of the invention,

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are aside View, a front View and a top view respectively of a. so-.

' called win electrode constituting an emtop view respectively of a double multirib rod electrode,

.Figure 13 is a diagrammatic view of a jetwave commutator including certain embodiments of the invention,

Figures 14 and 15 are a front view and a i. e. in a plane 'perpen 95,210, and in ma main mm; as, 1925.

top View respectively. of a rnultirih rod side electrode,

Figure 16 is a diagrammatic view of a jetwave commutator including certain embodiments of the invention,

Figure 17 is nn-enlarged top View of one of the electrode sets shown Figure 16, and Figure 18 shows a embodiment.

In all. of those figures which show a jetwave commutator the letter 3 designates a et-wave, preferably of mercury, which issues from a nozzle N, passes a magnetic field F, is in constant contact with an electrode E and co-acts with several other electrodes. T is the secondary of a transformer delivering the current which in co-action with the field F produces the waves on the jet.

The improvements more particularly described in the following mainly relate to the various electrodes of such a jet-waverommutator' but may also he used in several other apparatus in which a jet-wave conductor is used for the chasing or interruption of an electric circuit. The general principle can best be explained in eonnech'on with the auxiliary electrode for conducting the rectified current outwards how the commutator.

Figure 1 shows a commutator with such an auxiliary electrode E oi improved type.

The electrode E consists oi a wing oi conductive material arranged in the direction oi the movement of the jet-wave liquid-particles at said wing and generally but not al.- ways perpendicularly to the plane of the jetwave. The wing is'furthermoreadjusted in such a position that the jet-wave during its movement slides down aiong the edge of said wingwithout being cut'or damaged by the same, the jet-wave lacing in constant touch with this wing. If the wing is arranged in the plane of-symmetlg of the commutator,

'cular to the lane of the jet-wave and passing through t e position of the jet when void of current as shown 7 in Figure 1 and is sufiicientiy long, the jetwave will always connect the wing with either the electrode part E or the electrode part E In the position 1 of the jet-wave shown in full lines the electrodes E" and E, are connected through the part ab of the jet-wave andin the somewhat later position v '2shown in dotted lines the electrodes E and E are connected through the part 'dd. Ob-

viously the conditionfor an uninterrupted connection between the main-electrode E E and the auxiliary electrode E is that the length of the latter is greater than half the wave length A/2 of the jet-wave.

H the electrode E is arranged in the plane of symmetry of the commutator as shown in Figure l, knives w, and Q0 of conductive or insulating material must generallybe placed on either side of the wing to interrupt, at the proper moment, the connection formed by the jet-waves between the lectrode parts E and E durin. the first phase of the commutation.

Instead of one single wing E two or more wings arranged on opposite sides of the plane ofsymmetry of the commutator may be used. An electrode of this type with two wings E and E is shown in Figure 2. Here again each wing extends at least over one half-wave oii the jet. The -middle part of the commutator now being left free a single knife to may be positioned here to cut the et-wave. The lower edges of the wings E and E must be placed at such a level that the jet-wave releases its hold on the edge nearest to that electrode side which the jet-wave is just leaving before the et-wave is cut by the knife. Otherwise the commutation-spark will appear at said edge, thus in Figure 2 at the left instead of at the knife. in order to securethe interruptionof the connection between the side of the electrode and the wing, at the proper moment, two knives w, and Q02 may be applied to cut the jet-wave between parts E and E and the parts E and E respectively.

The herein described auxiliary electrodes are mainly adjusted in the direction of the motion of the particles of which the jet-wave is built up, that is in, or nearly in, planes perpendicular-to the plane of the jet-wave and radiating from the middlepoint of the field F.

A constructional embodimentof the wing proper is shown in Figure 3-5 inclusive.

It consists of a steel strip C fixed to an arm A. The edge of the strip facing towards the jet-wave is sharpened. It has been found that the edge of the wing should not be exactly parallel to the plane of the jet-wave. The

lowerpart'of the wing preferably protrudes a little farther into the et-wave than the upper-most part. The'wing-electrode may advantageously be constructed as a twin-elecr trode, as shown in Figures 68. The jetwave then travels down the slit between the two wings C and C The width of the slit is slightly reduced in the direction of the movement of the jet-wave. As shown in Figure8 each wing may be provided with two or more edges instead of having a single one, with the view of securing a more perfect contact between the jet-wave and the auxiliary elec trode.

Two ,wings or two twin wings may be Pliden opposite sides of the plane of symmetry of the commutator, or a number of such v the commutator.

wings may be used, the wings being either separated or collected in aunit. In the latter case the commutator may assume the form shown in Figure 9. The two members E, and E which are adapted to be short-circuited or which may be connected to one single electrode consist each of a comb of wings. The wings or teeth of the comb may have constant mutual distances. It should be noticed however that it very often will be considered advantageous to arrange the wings C C C with mutual distances gradually decreasing outwards against the limit of the jetwave and moreover with different inclinations in order to bring the single. wings to coincide, more or less exactly with.the direction of movement of the jet-wave particles in the considered point of the electrode. lhe latter may be buit as a twin-electrode, each of the two parts E and E then consisting of a made from a cylinder on which a series of sharp circular ribs has been produced by turnin After. the production of the ribs the cylinder has been bent in circular form with a radius equal to the distance from the memher to the middle point of the field whereby the result is obtained that the individual ribs are each adjusted in the direction of the motion of the particles of the jet-wave at the particular rib. The herein described electrode or electrode memberjhaving a multiribhed or corrugated surface is preferably called a currycomb-electrode. The two parts E and E shown in Figure 9 may be extended inwardly so as to meet and form one single electrode or twin-electrode. A twin-electrode oi the indicated description and of the currycomb type is shown in Figures 11 and 12, while Figure 10 illustrates a complete commutator furnished with a currycomb-electrode E.

It has been indicated above that the improvements not only apply to the auxiliary electrode E Figure 1, through which the commutator current is conducted away from The electrode E in Figure 1 which serves for the introduction of the auxiliary current into the jet-wave may also be ance may be built. In Figure 16 such a commutator is illustrated while in Figure 17 E, designates one of the electrode parts formed as a currycomb. Facing towards the part E consideration.

moaom E the commutated or rectified current has only to travel from the part E to the part E or from the part E to the part E through-the interjacent part of the wave, tings meeting an extremely small resistance on y. I

Figure 13 serves to illustrate an important application of the electrode principle under it has been found that a wingelectrode adjusted in the plane of symmetry oi: the commutator is very suitable for combination with other auxiliary-electrodes of various'types. The advantage of such compound-electrodes or electrode-aggregates is mainly the increased reliability which they offer. The difi'erent components being shortcircuited and the jet-wave simultaneously touching the various parts, more parallel ways are opened to the current. If one of these should by accident break down others are available, the possibility of an interruption of the circuit bein thus very small. In Figure l3-the wing-electrode E has been combined with two curry-combrelectrodes E and E In Figure 16 the wing-electrode in the plane of symmetry of the commutator has been replaced by a so-called wedge-electrode. This wedge-electrode is of course electrically connected with the auxiliary electrode parts E, and E In the embodiment of the invention sh own in Figure 18 all of the electrodes E, E, E' E and E are twin electrodes, the two halves 'of each of which are arranged on opposite sides of the plane of the jet-wave. The auxiliary current is conducted into the jet through two curry-combs E, and the cominutated current is conducted away from the commutator through two curry-combs E,

three twin wings E and E and furthermore through two curry-combs E and E, which are arranged adjacent and opposite to the two sides E and E of the main electrode respectively in a manner similar to that shown in Figure. 16. The twin wing arranged substantially in the direction of propagation of the jet-wave liquid particles at said wall and protruding laterally to a certain extent into the jet-wave sh as to touch the same without cutting the jetwave and interfering materially with the normal advancing motion of the wave figure, thus making it possible to pass an electric current from the wall into said jet-wave at least for a short time.

2. The device of claim 1, in which the saidconductive wall consists of a wing arranged in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the jet-wave and passing through the position of the jet when currentless with its edge constantly touching the et-wave during its passage of the wall.

3. The device of claim 1, in which the said conductive wall consists of a Wing arranged in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the jet-wave, the length of said wing being greaterthan'the length of half a wave of the I jet-wave at said wing.

combination of means for producing acouductive liquid jet-wave,- and two electrode parts arranged symmetrically with respect to the position of thejet when currentless and each comprising a wing arranged in a plane perpendicular to that of the jet-wave and substantially in the direction of propagation of the jet-wave particles, at said wing, the edge of each wing touching the jet-wave during its passage of the wing. 5. lnan electric jet-wave apparatus thev combination of means for producing a conductive liquid jet-wave, and two wing shaped electrodes both arranged in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the jetwave and passing through the position of the jet when currentless, said wing shaped electrodes being placed on opposite sides of the jet-wave and with their-edges touching said jet-wave during its passage between the wings.

combination of means including a magnetic field for roducing a conductive liquid jetwave, and an electrode consisting of :1. cylinder with a series of sharp circular ribs (a curry-comb-electrode), the cylinder being bent in circular form with a radius equal to E is arranged in the plane of symmetry of v the commutator, and the twin wings E, E are arranged symmetrically with respect to this plane.

Having thus full described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an electric jet-wave apparatus the combination of means for produclng a con-' ductive liquid jet-wave, and an electrode 7 member comprising a solid conductive wall the distance from the electrode to the middle point of the said magnetic field, whereas the said ribs are adjusted in the dircctlon of propagation of the jet-wave particles at the particular rib and are adapted to SUCCGSSIVGlY touch the jet-wave.

7. In an electric jet-wave apparatus, an electrode comprising two curved cylmders each with a series of sharp circular ribs,

said cylinders being arranged on opposite sides of the jet-wave and touching the same. 8; An electric jet-wave commutator, in which the commutated current isconducted away through two electrodes arranged on opposite sides of the plane of symmetry of the commutator and each comprising a 9. An electric jet-wave commutator, in"

which the commutated current is carried away through two electrodes arranged on opposite sides of the plane in which the jetwave plays and each comprisinga curved rod with a series of sharp circular ribs adjusted in the direction of propagation of the jet-wave particles at the particular rib.

10. In an electric jet-wave apparatus the combination of means including a magnetic field for producing a conductive jet-wave,"

and an electrode consisting of a curved rod with a series of sharp circular ribs through which the auxiliary current which in co-action with the said magnetic field produces the waves on the jet is conducted into the latter.

11. In an electric jet-wave commutator the combination of means for producing a conductive jet-wave, a wing-electrode arranged in the plane of symmetry of the commutator, and two curry-comb-electrodes arranged symmetrically'with res ect to the said plane, all of which electro es serve to conduct the commutated current away from the commutator 12. In an electric jBt-WitVe apparatus the combination of means including a magnetic field for producing a conductive liquid jetwave, and an electrodh member comprising a cylinder with a series of sharp circular ribs (a curry-comb-electrode) the cylinder being bent in circular form with a radius equal to the distance from the electrode mem' her to the middle point of the said magnetic field, whereas .the said ribs are adjusted in the direction of propagation of the jet-wave particles at the particular rib and are adapted to be in constant touch with the jet-wave. 13. For use in electric jet-wave apparatus, an electrode comprising a curved cylindrical rod having aseries of sharp circular ribs.

'14. in an electric jet-wave apparatus the combination of means including a magnetic field for producing a conductive liquid jetwave, and two electrode members comprising each a cylinder with a series of sharp circular ribs and arranged on opposite sides of the jet-wave which passes between these electrode members while touching the same the said cylinders being both bent in circular form with a radius substantially equal to the distance from the particular cylinder to the middle point of the said magnetic field.

15. An electric jet-wave commutator,

comprising means including a magnetic field for producing a conductive iet-wave, at

least one electrode adapted to be in constant touch with the said jet-wave during its motions, and a double -electrode (main electrode), the two sides of which are adapted to be alternately connected with the first named electrode through said jet-wave, each side of the double-electrode consisting of a cylinder with a series of sharp circular ribs which cylinder is bent in circular form ture as the said sides of the double-electrode v.

and arranged adjacent the same.

- In testimony whereof l have afiixed my signature.

and oppositely to JUMUS tlitlilBl-ZRIK GEURG P lwll. ll'llARllFfiANll.

. with" a radius equal to the distance from the cyl- 

